The Social Justice Vision at Stephen S. Wise Temple

Our congregation will see Social Justice as a calling that derives from our sense of God and the imperative of Jewish Tradition. The Stephen S. Wise Temple community will use our influence, power and compassion to be a force for positive, meaningful and effective change in the quality of life on behalf of all the citizens of Los Angeles and the world.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

These are the "Servant Leaders" for the Stephen S. Wise Freedom School. The Staff is hired, Temple High School kids will be our "CITs" and 50 children are set to spend six weeks in an exciting, fun and inspiring literacy program on our campus. The press release is below:

On June
25, Stephen S. Wise Temple will open the first Children’s Defense Fund Freedom
School sponsored by a Jewish organization on the West Coast, and only the
second nationally. Fifty children from Stanley Mosk Elementary School in
Winnetka will attend a six-week program of literacy training, mentorship, and enrichment
activities on the Stephen S. Wise campus. All costs to fund have been
contributed or raised by Stephen S. Wise Temple from its members as well as
from family foundations and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.The program will be run and staffed by
Stephen S. Wise Temple adult and youth members, other individuals from the Los
Angeles community, and Temple members will volunteer their time for various enrichment
programs every day. The teachers will be committed college students with a
passion for social justice and a love of children. Students in the program will
enjoy resources that the Stephen S. Wise Temple campus offers, including
beautiful classrooms, open playgrounds, and a pool. In addition, students will
take several field trips to cultural sites around the Los Angeles area,
including the Skirball Cultural Center and the Getty Center.

Temple
member volunteer and Project Director, Andrea Sonnenberg and professional Site Coordinator,
Jennifer Smith recently traveled to Clinton, Tennessee for the Children’s
Defense Fund national training. There, along with 250 Freedom School staff from
across the country, they acquired essential skills for Freedom School
management. As ambassadors for the Jewish community to the overwhelmingly
African American Freedom School staff, they were enthusiastically embraced by
participants and were able to share Jewish values and teachings with them. Quoting
one of the participant’s comments about how much they respected Jews,
Sonnenberg recounts, “they [Jews] care, because they are dedicated to
education, and because they are motivated by their values.” For Sonnenberg, she
notes that this experience “was one of the most transformative moments in my
life.”

Rabbi Ron Stern, the Director
of Social Justice programing at Stephen S. Wise Temple, adds, “this program
establishes Stephen S. Wise Temple as a leading synagogue for creating
meaningful and enduring connections with the broadest spectrum of the Los Angeles
community. In order for this project to succeed, we coordinated our efforts
with LAUSD board member, Steve Zimmer and Principal Barbara Friedrich of
Stanley Mosk Elementary School. Through this project, Stephen S. Wise Temple
has devoted its superior facilities and skilled professional resources to
address inadequate educational opportunities for under-served children.It is our hope that other religious
institutions throughout the Westside will be inspired by our efforts and create
their own Freedom Schools. Stephen S. Wise Temple stands ready to offer our
support.”

The Los Angeles City Council Responsible Banking Ordinance. Clergy and Social Justice activists join together to demand that when our money (LA City money) is deposited in banks those banks also invest in the well-being of our city: branches in poorer neighborhoods, increased small business lending and reducing foreclosures of homes. See the body of the blog for more information.